It has been long known in the art that a penis enlarges and hardens prior to urination. This is true whether urination is voluntary or involuntary (enuresis). A number of devices have been proposed which use of this physical characteristic to prevent nocturnal enuresis.
Prior art devices are primarily directed to use of the pressure generated in the penis prior to urination to force a closing of the urethra preventing enuresis. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,410,339 issued Mar. 21, 1922 to Martinka taught fitting of an elastic band around the penis as a loop. A inwardly oriented portion of the loop was positioned beneath the urethra to be drawn into the urethra by any expansion or hardening of the penis, thus closing the urethra to urine flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 678,943 issued July 23, 1901 to Davis taught a "Compress" providing a ring positioned by semicircular saddles on a penis. The lower portion of the ring provided an inwardly disposed wedge to be brought against the urethra and pinch the urethra closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 714,850 issued Dec. 2, 1902 to Zimmermann provided rubber tubes held against the top and bottom of a penis by a spring apparatus. The tubes pinched the penis to prevent urination and upon enlargement of the penis disturbed the sleeping patient.
A common problem of the prior art devices is the use of pressure, usually applied to the urethra, to prevent urination. Application of pressure to the penis across a narrow focus can result in impeding the circulation of blood in the penis and application of unnecessary pain. While pain can provide a sure tool to waking the patient, and pinching the urethra a relatively sure method for preventing any occasion of enuresis, the absolute prevention of any occurrence of enuresis is not essential to treatment of a habit of nocturnal enuresis. It is sufficient in most cases to disturb the patient upon near occasion of enuresis. The focus of treatment is then directed to training the patient to break the tendency toward bed wetting, rather than the absolute prevention of any occasion of bed wetting. This purpose can be served by disturbing the patient's sleep frequently enough to prevent a substantial proportion of the occasions for bed wetting.